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Famous Crimes the World Forgot Vol II: More Vintage True Crimes Rescued from Obscurity
Tired of Reading About the Same Crimes and Criminals Over and Over? Would you like to read about amazing crimes and criminals you never knew about? More Extraordinary True Crimes You Never Knew About With 42 Images Famous Crimes the World Forgot Volume II uncovers more amazing true crimes that exploded into the national news, shocking Americans from coast to coast—crimes that were eventually forgotten—until now. Each one of these stories transports you back to the time they happened, propels you through all the suspense-filled developments, and explores each one with an in-depth look into the actions of humans so evil, it's hard to believe they were real. They a serial poisoner who laughed when thought he got away with murdering a brother and sister, but cried when he was arrested; 2. a woman with a history of being robbed by two men until the third time it happened, when they killed her husband, or so she said; 3. a mail-order bride lured to her death 3,000 miles away by a man with a wife and five children; 4. a serial-rapist and possible serial-killer who murdered two sisters on their way to church; 5. a five-time loser turned drifter who gunned down four men for $40 inside a hermit's shack; 6. an escaped convict turned serial-killer with a taste for red-heads; 7. the mysterious car bomb murder of a wealthy Texas socialite which churned up a cast of sordid characters who captivated an audience for what was America's first live-televised murder trial; 8. and Milwaukee's first serial-killer who stabbed young girls with a seven-inch stiletto. These astonishing true crimes will leave you wondering how they could have been ignored for so long.
386 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 20, 2017
561 people are currently reading
254 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
November 18, 2017
One of those random books I don't really remember putting on my Kindle, but decided to read anyway! I have a strange fascination with true crime, but many booksoverview the same crimes. This book is a little different in that these are crimes that are not as well known or documented.
Told in a generally detached voice, sometimes we dip back into opinion and the difference between this writing was obvious. It was obviously well researched. Four stars.
Told in a generally detached voice, sometimes we dip back into opinion and the difference between this writing was obvious. It was obviously well researched. Four stars.
March 25, 2017
Vintage crime!
Eight different stories of obscure crimes of the past with just enough detail to be interesting but not so much to be tedious. If you like true crime and are tired of the old favorites that are dished up over and over give this one a chance. I enjoyed it and never heard of these cases before. Includes photos and footnotes.
Eight different stories of obscure crimes of the past with just enough detail to be interesting but not so much to be tedious. If you like true crime and are tired of the old favorites that are dished up over and over give this one a chance. I enjoyed it and never heard of these cases before. Includes photos and footnotes.
March 25, 2017
Famous Crimes
Interesting, informative, and quite detailed. Excellent researched forgotten murders and the murderers involved. A slight fascination with the better looking serial killers but
Interesting, informative, and quite detailed. Excellent researched forgotten murders and the murderers involved. A slight fascination with the better looking serial killers but
January 28, 2018
Reading books about crime and the people involved i.e. perpetrators, victims, bystanders and investigators never fail to amaze me. I know about personal shortcomings, including my own, but the kind of things people do against others is just beyond belief. I am not sure why I find this book and other similar books interesting but I do. This being said I enjoyed reading this well researched and well written book. This ground work made the detail in the book informative and interesting. If the subject interests you, this is a good book to spend some time with. Read it.
December 17, 2023
Wonderful Book
This is a really good book. I never would have known some of the things I read in this book, and I grew up in San Angelo. The stories can be a little scary in the context of todays news stories. But I think it’s good to make people think, crime didn’t just happen presently, it has happened many times in the past and it was selected for forgetting because of the awful nature of the crimes. But as the saying goes “If we choose to forget our past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them”.
This is a really good book. I never would have known some of the things I read in this book, and I grew up in San Angelo. The stories can be a little scary in the context of todays news stories. But I think it’s good to make people think, crime didn’t just happen presently, it has happened many times in the past and it was selected for forgetting because of the awful nature of the crimes. But as the saying goes “If we choose to forget our past mistakes, we are doomed to repeat them”.
November 21, 2019
Good Book Great writing
I love true crime shows, I chose this book because it about true crime. It is well written and I felt as if I was trying to figure it out with the police. Wondering how without the technology we have today they figured it out. It was also interesting to see that all of these were forgotten! I am about to start reading book 2 of this because I enjoyed this one so much! Awesome job truly!
I love true crime shows, I chose this book because it about true crime. It is well written and I felt as if I was trying to figure it out with the police. Wondering how without the technology we have today they figured it out. It was also interesting to see that all of these were forgotten! I am about to start reading book 2 of this because I enjoyed this one so much! Awesome job truly!
December 31, 2019
Excellent read with good detail and well written.
I really like this book. I also liked Volume 1. It is written with clarity and patience. Easy to follow the story line Mr. Morrow weaves. Only criticism is not directed at him...the person/persons who copy the book for kindle need a refresher course in hyphens, which are annoyingly overused and frequently used incorrectly. Mr. Morrow is VERY GOOD!
I really like this book. I also liked Volume 1. It is written with clarity and patience. Easy to follow the story line Mr. Morrow weaves. Only criticism is not directed at him...the person/persons who copy the book for kindle need a refresher course in hyphens, which are annoyingly overused and frequently used incorrectly. Mr. Morrow is VERY GOOD!
May 12, 2019
Very fresh and unique stories
If you are a crime buff like me you get tired omg of reading the same like 25 major crimes repeatedly and exhaustively represented. This book is so interesting and brings a journalists tone to stories I had never even heard about. I pretty much read it in one sitting. Completely recommend
If you are a crime buff like me you get tired omg of reading the same like 25 major crimes repeatedly and exhaustively represented. This book is so interesting and brings a journalists tone to stories I had never even heard about. I pretty much read it in one sitting. Completely recommend
May 20, 2017
Love these books
Read both of these books now and find them fascinating. Can't wait for more. Expertly written and researched. More soon please. Just an idea, but how about a British version on the same theme?. Will read anything by this author. A well deserved 5 stars.
Read both of these books now and find them fascinating. Can't wait for more. Expertly written and researched. More soon please. Just an idea, but how about a British version on the same theme?. Will read anything by this author. A well deserved 5 stars.
August 17, 2017
Well Researched
This is the third book I have read by Jason Lucky Morrow and I must say I truly enjoy reading his books. The crimes and events surrounding them are researched so thoroughly. I hope he writes more columns of vintage crimes.
This is the third book I have read by Jason Lucky Morrow and I must say I truly enjoy reading his books. The crimes and events surrounding them are researched so thoroughly. I hope he writes more columns of vintage crimes.
March 4, 2018
Fairly sure the world “forgot” these crimes because of their being unbelievably dull. Made worse by the author dragging each case on for about 12,000 words, throwing in needless research and details that slow it down even further. Give this one a miss.
October 22, 2018
Another great true crime read for those who are interested in crimes going back in time. I've read the 1st volume which was just as good. I like this authors books and just downloaded another vintage true crime book co-authored by Jason Lucky Morrow and can't wait to start reading it.
June 10, 2020
Great Stories on Lesser-Known Crimes
As a fan of true crime, I've read many books. This author writes intriguing stories filled with the right amount of detail to give vivid mental pictures of the crimes, victims, and perpetrators. I will definitely read more from this author.
As a fan of true crime, I've read many books. This author writes intriguing stories filled with the right amount of detail to give vivid mental pictures of the crimes, victims, and perpetrators. I will definitely read more from this author.
December 28, 2021
Jason hits another home run
I don’t know why I used a baseball analogy, I’m not really a fan. But I only stopped reading this book when I had to go to work. The writing draws you in and you’re hooked.
I don’t know why I used a baseball analogy, I’m not really a fan. But I only stopped reading this book when I had to go to work. The writing draws you in and you’re hooked.
April 4, 2024
Vintage true crime
A,collection of shocking crimes that gained nationwide coverage during TBE last century. The author uncovers great detail on each crime. Recommended to anyone interested in the history of criminal investjgation.
A,collection of shocking crimes that gained nationwide coverage during TBE last century. The author uncovers great detail on each crime. Recommended to anyone interested in the history of criminal investjgation.
April 17, 2019
good stories
liked the writing...the storie had pace....
subject matter was interi
esting particularly for
crime historians
chances are you will learn something new
liked the writing...the storie had pace....
subject matter was interi
esting particularly for
crime historians
chances are you will learn something new
December 6, 2019
Not as good as the first one, unfortunately.
January 6, 2020
Still really love this format--very sorry to see that there's no Volume III to get into!
June 20, 2020
Great Read
In this book are true crime cases from the past as the title suggests and they are some that many people haven't heard of. Written well and interesting.
In this book are true crime cases from the past as the title suggests and they are some that many people haven't heard of. Written well and interesting.
January 14, 2023
Excellent
This is the best written true crime book I've read. It reads like a book rather than just facts. I liked the personal stories about the families and friends
This is the best written true crime book I've read. It reads like a book rather than just facts. I liked the personal stories about the families and friends
March 10, 2024
More bizarre crimes
Some great twists and turns in the cases. The stories are good snapshot for the times. Interesting to see what has changed and what remains the same.
Some great twists and turns in the cases. The stories are good snapshot for the times. Interesting to see what has changed and what remains the same.
June 23, 2025
Not as good as the first volume (to me).
September 18, 2022
Jason Morrow created a website in 2013 called HistoricalCrimeDetective.com. His goal was (and is) to study and report sensational stories that swept across America years ago but are now lost in time. Another premise of his site is to avoid cases rehashed many times before (such as Jack the Ripper, Andrea Yates, etc.).
This author tells eight cases in great detail (averaging about 12,000 words per story). He has combed newspapers, culled any available photographs, and reviewed trial documents. All this is to offer his readers a complete picture of all known information about the cases selected.
This reader came away thinking that the 'good ole' days' weren't all that safe and serene. Evil has been with the human race for a long time. In this particular volume (this is a series), the police caught all of these perps. What sets Mr. Morrow's book apart from others is that he tries to capture the mood of the times. He often uses direct quotes from sources, trying to set the scene. Additionally, the variety of crimes is startling.
In the first chapter, a brother and sister, each getting ready for their marriage on subsequent days, were both poisoned the day before the first wedding. Their deaths were extremely excruciating and drawn-out. The near-simultaneous deaths of two siblings sent the country into a tailspin. An early suspect was Susie Below's old boyfriend; however, things soon moved closer to home.
Ivy Giberson tells her story of the robbery and murder of her husband in Chapter Two. Unfortunately, this was the third time two men in thirteen years had robbed Ivy. Something seemed fishy to the police. In Chapter Three, Catherine Clark was very lonely. Her first marriage had been unhappy; Catherine was a bit portly, and she was desperate for a loving relationship. She got involved in a national matrimonial service popular at the time (her case single-handedly killed this avenue to find new love). Convinced to bring her $2000 savings with her to meet her new fiancee, Catherine traveled three thousand miles to meet her murderer. Her fiancee (the murderer) was married with five children.
Things turn even more grim in Chapter Four. Two sisters, both educated and accomplished, were killed by a maniac. They were eleven miles from their parent's home when they were shoved off the road by a car behind them. Although it didn't help, their father was an assistant police chief. In the week in 1930, when the widely-known, musically-gifted women died, they were the most famous sisters in America.
The story in Chapter Five is even more stunning. A multi-time ex-con killed four men in cold blood for $40 to continue his drinking spree. This is the first story I've read about American Basques (who immigrated from Spain) and became wealthy ranchers in Nevada. One of the murdered men was Basque, and the tight-knit community wanted blood. At that point, Luther Jones found himself between the gas chamber and a Basque lynching party.
In the 1940s, a redheaded woman was often called a tomato. Chapter Six is the complex case of an escaped serial killer who preferred redheads. The Charming Casanova plied his sensational murders from New Orleans to Chicago and beyond. The police were baffled because there were no marks on either redhead and no signs of violence anywhere. Found in a bathtub with six inches of water, neither woman had water in her lungs. By the time of the third murder of a redhead, Joseph Medley was Public Enemy Number One for the FBI.
Chapter Seven recounts the car bomb death of a wealthy San Angelo, Texas, socialite. Residents heard the bomb a mile away, and windows shattered for blocks around the Weaver family's mansion. Stories about the shocking homicide swept across the US and Great Britain. Eventually, the trial would be the first live televised murder trial in US history.
The final chapter is about the stiletto slayer of Milwaukee in 1966. This serial killer stabbed young girls with a seven-inch stiletto. An altar boy (and brother to one of the victims) found his sister's murdered, half-nude body lying next to the church (where he was serving as an altar boy) ten minutes before mass started. By this murder, Milwaukee police were sure they had a serial killer (although that term wasn't coined until 25 years later). This was a huge national story that rocked the Milwaukee community.
In 2018, Jason Morrow's volume of this book earned the Gold Medal for the True Crime Category. The Independent Publishers Book Awards (the IPPYs) are among the highest awards a new or seasoned author can receive.
This author tells eight cases in great detail (averaging about 12,000 words per story). He has combed newspapers, culled any available photographs, and reviewed trial documents. All this is to offer his readers a complete picture of all known information about the cases selected.
This reader came away thinking that the 'good ole' days' weren't all that safe and serene. Evil has been with the human race for a long time. In this particular volume (this is a series), the police caught all of these perps. What sets Mr. Morrow's book apart from others is that he tries to capture the mood of the times. He often uses direct quotes from sources, trying to set the scene. Additionally, the variety of crimes is startling.
In the first chapter, a brother and sister, each getting ready for their marriage on subsequent days, were both poisoned the day before the first wedding. Their deaths were extremely excruciating and drawn-out. The near-simultaneous deaths of two siblings sent the country into a tailspin. An early suspect was Susie Below's old boyfriend; however, things soon moved closer to home.
Ivy Giberson tells her story of the robbery and murder of her husband in Chapter Two. Unfortunately, this was the third time two men in thirteen years had robbed Ivy. Something seemed fishy to the police. In Chapter Three, Catherine Clark was very lonely. Her first marriage had been unhappy; Catherine was a bit portly, and she was desperate for a loving relationship. She got involved in a national matrimonial service popular at the time (her case single-handedly killed this avenue to find new love). Convinced to bring her $2000 savings with her to meet her new fiancee, Catherine traveled three thousand miles to meet her murderer. Her fiancee (the murderer) was married with five children.
Things turn even more grim in Chapter Four. Two sisters, both educated and accomplished, were killed by a maniac. They were eleven miles from their parent's home when they were shoved off the road by a car behind them. Although it didn't help, their father was an assistant police chief. In the week in 1930, when the widely-known, musically-gifted women died, they were the most famous sisters in America.
The story in Chapter Five is even more stunning. A multi-time ex-con killed four men in cold blood for $40 to continue his drinking spree. This is the first story I've read about American Basques (who immigrated from Spain) and became wealthy ranchers in Nevada. One of the murdered men was Basque, and the tight-knit community wanted blood. At that point, Luther Jones found himself between the gas chamber and a Basque lynching party.
In the 1940s, a redheaded woman was often called a tomato. Chapter Six is the complex case of an escaped serial killer who preferred redheads. The Charming Casanova plied his sensational murders from New Orleans to Chicago and beyond. The police were baffled because there were no marks on either redhead and no signs of violence anywhere. Found in a bathtub with six inches of water, neither woman had water in her lungs. By the time of the third murder of a redhead, Joseph Medley was Public Enemy Number One for the FBI.
Chapter Seven recounts the car bomb death of a wealthy San Angelo, Texas, socialite. Residents heard the bomb a mile away, and windows shattered for blocks around the Weaver family's mansion. Stories about the shocking homicide swept across the US and Great Britain. Eventually, the trial would be the first live televised murder trial in US history.
The final chapter is about the stiletto slayer of Milwaukee in 1966. This serial killer stabbed young girls with a seven-inch stiletto. An altar boy (and brother to one of the victims) found his sister's murdered, half-nude body lying next to the church (where he was serving as an altar boy) ten minutes before mass started. By this murder, Milwaukee police were sure they had a serial killer (although that term wasn't coined until 25 years later). This was a huge national story that rocked the Milwaukee community.
In 2018, Jason Morrow's volume of this book earned the Gold Medal for the True Crime Category. The Independent Publishers Book Awards (the IPPYs) are among the highest awards a new or seasoned author can receive.
April 25, 2017
When I read the first volume of this series a couple years ago, I enjoyed it and remarked that I was looking forward to the next installment. This one was good too; I only wish they came out more often.
July 16, 2019
Terrific book
Very interesting book indeed. Several stories I had never even heard about. Fantastic author, definitely worth following. Anyone interested in vintage crime should read this book.
Very interesting book indeed. Several stories I had never even heard about. Fantastic author, definitely worth following. Anyone interested in vintage crime should read this book.
March 29, 2017
Tremendously satisfying vintage crime
Every story in this book is a pleasure to read. These once-famous crimes have truly been forgotten.
The author has done extensive research to bring these stories to print, and I appreciate his efforts to do so. Each story is complete based on the information available and includes photos where available.
I wish I could give it a five-star rating. However, if I had proofread this book, I would have corrected at least 36 errors. In addition, many times hyphenation was inexplicably and incorrectly used while at other times, there was no hyphenation where it was needed.
Regardless, I eagerly look forward to any new release by this author.
Every story in this book is a pleasure to read. These once-famous crimes have truly been forgotten.
The author has done extensive research to bring these stories to print, and I appreciate his efforts to do so. Each story is complete based on the information available and includes photos where available.
I wish I could give it a five-star rating. However, if I had proofread this book, I would have corrected at least 36 errors. In addition, many times hyphenation was inexplicably and incorrectly used while at other times, there was no hyphenation where it was needed.
Regardless, I eagerly look forward to any new release by this author.
May 15, 2018
Very interesting to read. The author takes you back in time and gives the story or facts on what happened and how the killer(s) were caught and brought to justice.
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews